AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025190182
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Early Access

Optimizing nozzle design in extrusion-based 3D bioprinting to minimize mechanical stress and enhance cell viability

Lorenzo Lombardi1 Annachiara Scalzone2,3* Chiara Ausilio1 Piergiorgio Gentile2,4* Daniele Tammaro1
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1 Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, Naples, Italy
2 School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Claremont Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
3 Centre for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care (CABHC), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, Naples, Italy
4 Centro de Biomateriales e Ingenierıa Tisular (CBIT),Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera, s/n Ciudad Politecnica de la Innovacion, Valencia, Spain
Received: 5 May 2025 | Accepted: 16 June 2025 | Published online: 16 June 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Extrusion-based 3D bioprinting is a widely used technique for fabricating cell-laden constructs in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the mechanical stresses experienced by cells during the printing process can negatively impact their viability. This study examines the influence of nozzle geometry—specifically contrac- tion angle and outlet diameter—on stress distribution and its effects on cell survival. Through a combination of experimental analysis and theoretical modeling, we explore how nozzle design affects the balance between shear and extensional stresses during bioprinting. The findings highlight the importance of optimizing nozzle parameters to minimize mechanical damage and improve post-printing cell viability. The pro- posed model provides a framework for guiding nozzle design, offering insights for the development of customized bioprinting strategies that enhance construct fidelity and biological functionality. These results contribute to advancing bioprinting techniques for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Keywords
Extrusion bioprinting
Customised nozzles
Extensional stress
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing